I-League will not be affected: AIFF

OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

New Delhi: All India Football Federation (AIFF) and its marketing agents have decided to call a meeting with the representatives of the I-League clubs on August 6 to explain the concept of the proposed franchisee-based league later this season.

The brain behind the new league, IMG-Reliance, who is the marketing agents of the AIFF, made a presentation on the proposed league in Mumbai on Tuesday. Senior federation officials, including general secretary Kushal Das and vice president Subroto Dutta, were present.

Though, as per the proposal, no I-League club would be allowed to take part in the new league, the clubs could be requested to release players on loan for the two-month tournament, scheduled to be played from January / February 2013. The players, released on loan, would be paid salary for four months by their respective franchisees.

Denying the proposed new league would reduce I-League’s importance drastically, an AIFF official said the new event would only be held for two months and it would no way affect the I-League. “The packaging for the clubs in the I-League is to be made more attractive,” said the official.